An Important Bembe Male Ancestor Figure, Democratic Republic of the Congo

the male figure standing with parted bent legs, the elongated body decorated with geometric and figurative scarification in relief, the elegantly curved bent arms in openwork, both forearms missing, the face with highly abstract features beneath a domed forehead with diamond shaped scarification; exceptionally fine lustrous reddish-brown patina with partial encrustation and residue.

Pace Gallery, New York
Lee Bronson, Los Angeles
Sotheby's, New York, November 18, 1986, lot 70
Loudmer, Paris, June 27, 1991, lot 33
de Ricqlès, Paris, May 28, 2000, lot 181
Alain de Monbrison, Paris

Saint Paul, Hamlin University,  Icons of Perfection: Figurative Sculpture from Africa, December 1, 2005 - February 11, 2006
Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, A Survey of Zairian Art: The Bronson Collection, November 14, 1978 - January 21, 1979 (for additional venues see bibliography Cornet 1978)

Pace Gallery, New York (advertisement), African Arts, July 1978, vol. XI, no. 4, p. 8
Joseph Cornet, A Survey of Zairian Art: The Bronson Collection, Raleigh, 1978, pp. 325-327, fig. 185
Warren M. Robbins and Nancy I. Nooter, African Art in American Collections, Washington and London, 1989, p. 377, fig. 964
Raoul Lehuard, Art Bakongo. Les Centres de Style, vol. II, Arnouville, 1989, p. 414, fig. B-W-1-1
Frank Herreman, Icons of Perfection: Figurative Sculpture from Africa, Saint Paul, 2005, p. 32, cat. 15

very good condition overall for a figure of this age and type; right forearm broken below elbow, left forearm broken midway age crack through left side of body, minor age cracks through chest, chin chipped; two wooden pegs inserted in base for mounting; exceptionally fine lustrous reddish-brown patina with partial encrustation and residue.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Raoul Lehuard (1989, vol. II: 333 et seq.) divides Bembe statuary into 26 different styles and classifies the the Bohlen figure as style "BW" which he attributes to the Western Bembe. This style is distinguished by a rigid classicism including the representation of the eyes and mouth as crescent shapes, the straight posture of the elongated torso, the U-shaped shoulders leading to elongated, usually bent arms, as well as in most cases the presence of scarification on the shoulders and forehead. However, the Bohlen figure is exceptional in its gender (all other known figures are female), its impressive size, its unusual coiffure, and the figurative body scarification on its chest, a hunting scene which Lehuard (ibid: 414, text to BW 1-1) suggests to be evidence of strong Dondo influence.